What's new in Windows Server 2012

It is the end times

The signs are all here. Storms, floods, plagues of rats (well, drowned mice), and Microsoft releasing an OS that sounds competent and capable and command-line based. I'm surprised the release date for it isn't December 21st.

naaa

I think I will keep my client base on SBS 2003 until the hardware fails. I simply don't see the point of upgrading just because its the latest version. There's nothing as far as I can see that would be of any real use.

As for pushing the 'cloud', there's a lot of assumption that biz's are hooked up to fast internet and that cloud based files are the best thing ever. Let me see, some areas of the UK still don't have broadband, my clients work with 60Mb spreadsheets, have on average 200gb of live data and anything in the cloud can be taken down by the local gov (think kim dot longdong).

I think local servers will always be the better option

Surprised me..

It's a decent OS. IMO. IDK why by the I can see the Metro Interface working for this. I hate if for Windows 8, I don't mind it for the server. I think that its partly because I can go GUI less on nearly all installs, and still use a "central" manger to control it or Powershell as recommended.

One thing I disagree with is Hyper V scaring VMware. Hyper-V "matured" but I haven't found and true benefit to moving off of VMware. Talking with a VMware rep. they basically said that MS would have to servery undercut VMware or provide some as yet unreleased benefit. VMware seems pretty confident in being able to match or out perform MS.

Serious question: Who cares?

I mean people who want a decent shell and a manageable system have moved to Linux years ago. Or if they still need some Windows server software, they run it inside a virtual image.

Pure Windows sysadmins are getting rare, and those who remain often cannot program. A shell is therefore quite useless to them.

Loving 2012. More please!

As someone who is actively and actually using Server 2012, I think I can probably give a real world experiences view.

First off, the interface changes are getting overblown by people resistant to change if you ask me. Yes, 2012 isn't perfect on this front, but actually once you get past the admittedly mindless metro front screen bit, the rest is pretty good. They're finally getting shot of many of the legacies of old versions and putting together more sane management interfaces. The more I use it, the more I'm really starting to hate having to go back to 2008/2003. Progress is needed and once you spend a bit of time using 2012 you just get used to it and it no longer irritates you. Apart from "Log Off" being "Sign Out" and not where you'd expect it anymore (which really is a minor grumble).

By far the biggest win on 2012 is Hyper V - it's really, really, really good. Miles better than the prior release and in our particular scenario will give us the features we want and could really benefit from without the cost and sub-par VMware world having to become part of my world. I used to really like VMware but it's just not doing it anymore - of course different people may have different views but in practical terms, for us, Hyper V has come of age.

Storage Spaces is really handy too - particularly in the SME space (it's pretty similar in basic terms to the much loved and now gone feature of "Home Server" for many purposes), but as it stands we've no real use for it internally - but give it a few weeks, I'm sure we'll end up with some scenario.

There are so many small/trivial little changes that all make a big difference when put together - if you're a clued up admin who actually admins Windows regularly (and not a very competent Linux admin that has to look after some windows but hates it and blah blah) you might actually want to spend a bit of time on 2012 before moaning, and then realise it's going to make your life easier.